SMAT, the new Khaleeji haunt at Dubai Design District, is a one-of-its-kind cafe and restaurant that fuses traditional Emirati cuisine with modern flavour and feel to bring out dishes that we bet you’ve never heard of before. 

Exhibit A: Karak french toast

Exhibit B: Emirati spiced Schnitzel with creamy mushroom sauce.

Need we say more?

The restaurant features a carefully curated menu of home-made favourites with foreign flair.

Designed by Nadia Al Khaja, the Emirati co-founder of the brand, it brings nostalgia and excitement together on one palette.

 The space features al fresco dining that slips from a busy brunch spot into a classy dinner joint, with young people constantly flocking to find themselves a corner to work and socialise with their fellow creatives. 

Eclectic decor and traditional touches like an in-house oud player, wafting scents of oud and bakhoor, and local artisan coffee varieties like Gahwa, complete the place for a fully-immersive local experience.